COLTON – This summer the city’s teens will have a place to call their own.

The ground-breaking ceremony for a new teen center was held Thursday at Cesar Chavez Park, construction is expected to be completed sometime in August.

“It’s been a long time coming to get this started,” said police Chief Bob Miller. “They (teens) need this facility.”

The teen center will house a new gym for the Police Activities League Boxing program and features other amenities for teens to enjoy.

The PAL Boxing program is operating at capacity with about 50 kids enrolled and has a waiting list of more than 100, said Carlos Palomino, a coach for PAL Boxing. Once the new facility opens it will expand its enrollment to about 90, Palomino said.

PAL boxing is a positive recreational activity for local youth and has produced professional boxers such as Mary Salcido and Freddie Barrea, who now volunteers as a coach, Palomino said.

Palomino has volunteered countless hours to the program and is happy to see it will soon be getting a state-of-the-art facility.

“I’m in awe,” Palomino said. “I didn’t think this was going to come. Now that we’re actually doing it – I just can’t wait.”

PAL Boxing is part of the Police Department’s juvenile intervention approach to crime suppression and helps develop positive relationships between police and youth, Miller said.

Officers often visit kids in the program to encourage them and warn of the dangers of gangs and criminal activity, Palomino said.

The Teen Center project will expand an existing facility at Chavez Park to approximately 9,300 square feet.

The expanded portion will be a multipurpose room that will be used primarily by PAL Boxing and allow the city to host regional boxing events, a city news release said.

The existing facility will be transformed into a recreation room, activities area and a computer lab, the release said.

This portion of the teen center will have a lounge with television, pool and video games, Community Services Director Bill Smith has said.

He hopes this attracts teens so they can take advantage of other programs that will be offered, such as tutoring, homework assistance and recreational sports activities.

Programming for the center was based on input Smith and Miller received from students at Colton high and middle schools in 2007, said City Manager Daryl Parrish.

In December the City Council unanimously approved three contracts totaling about $1.4 million for the teen center’s construction.

The council first came up with the concept about four years ago, said Councilwoman Deirdre Bennett.